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Trying to eat normal poops? Hair loss on crusty nose

TheSilverH

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
Lancashire
Hey all, new here... obviously šŸ˜, Iā€™m new to piggies and hope you all donā€™t mind me asking a couple of questions.

I know pigs eat their poops, the special one thatā€™s for re-digesting after itā€™s been through the gut, but Iā€™ve noticed one of my boys (Raphael) keeps going to eat his and a normal poo drops from his mouth... is this normal? Do they both come out at the same time and this happens all the time? I have noticed he sniffs at his cage mates behind a lot, starting to think heā€™s poorly and isnā€™t doing the special poops.

Heā€˜s also suddenly got a little hair loss just left of his cute wee nose, Iā€™ve attached a couple of pics below. Heā€™s booked in at the vets, but the first available appointment is Thursday, so if these things raise any alarm bells with anyone here Iā€™m going to try a different vet. One of my boys died after only two weeks, Iā€™d bought them from a pet shop and knew he needed a friend so the one I got was only 2 months old, they told me to just put them both in the same cage and put tonnes of hay in there. They seem to get along luckily, Raph rumbles a lot, and he wants to hump him often, but not excessively, they let eat other eat, and both boys poos look fine. Tbh I just feel awful, everything Iā€™ve been told is a direct contradiction of what Iā€™ve spent hours reading on here, and I just want to be a good guineadad.

Sorry if this is a bit rambling, thank you for any help/advice.

Greg



 
Eating poo is fine, do not give it a second thought.

That nose... that needs a vet visit looks possibly fungal, earlier you treat the better to avoid spread Guinea Lynx :: Fungus
Fungal is common and can be cleared up fairly quickly

Sounds like they are a great boar pairing! So pleased to hear it went smooth. I am sorry to hear of the loss of your other piggy.

Hope you enjoy the forum a link to our guides can be found here
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

Are you UK based?
 
Hey all, new here... obviously šŸ˜, Iā€™m new to piggies and hope you all donā€™t mind me asking a couple of questions.

I know pigs eat their poops, the special one thatā€™s for re-digesting after itā€™s been through the gut, but Iā€™ve noticed one of my boys (Raphael) keeps going to eat his and a normal poo drops from his mouth... is this normal? Do they both come out at the same time and this happens all the time? I have noticed he sniffs at his cage mates behind a lot, starting to think heā€™s poorly and isnā€™t doing the special poops.

Heā€˜s also suddenly got a little hair loss just left of his cute wee nose, Iā€™ve attached a couple of pics below. Heā€™s booked in at the vets, but the first available appointment is Thursday, so if these things raise any alarm bells with anyone here Iā€™m going to try a different vet. One of my boys died after only two weeks, Iā€™d bought them from a pet shop and knew he needed a friend so the one I got was only 2 months old, they told me to just put them both in the same cage and put tonnes of hay in there. They seem to get along luckily, Raph rumbles a lot, and he wants to hump him often, but not excessively, they let eat other eat, and both boys poos look fine. Tbh I just feel awful, everything Iā€™ve been told is a direct contradiction of what Iā€™ve spent hours reading on here, and I just want to be a good guineadad.

Sorry if this is a bit rambling, thank you for any help/advice.

Greg




Hi and welcome!

Don't worry about the poops - guinea pigs discover the world by tasting and nibbling since rodents don't have a vomit reflex.

Please see a vet for a potential ringworm infection - it is a highly contagious species jumping fungal skin infection that can also transmit to and from humans. A vet grade antifungal as well as antibacterial disinfectant like F10 (widely available online) and consequent hygiene in combination with good quality treatment are crucial in preventing this from becoming a long running frustrating saga. Invisible ringworm spores can stay live for up to 2 years.

You can reclaim any vet cost from the place you have bought your piggies from as part of your customer rights for having been sold in effect damaged ware. Here is more information on the most common pitfalls in newly bought piggies and your customer rights: New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

And here is our very detailed and comprehensive step by step ringworm hygiene and pictures guide. Please take the time to read it and follow it. In nearly 15 years of existence, we really have had time to try about everything, stumble into every possible transmission route and work out a way to cut off all angles. Ringworm is really worth throwing the kitchen sink at in order to get on top of it once and for all as quickly and effectively as possible! Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

All the best!
 
Thank you so much to both of you! Iā€™ll see if I can find a local vet with an appointment available before Thursday, but if not heā€™s booked in for then, fingers crossed.

Yes Iā€™m in the U.K., up north, in Lancashire.
 
Thank you so much to both of you! Iā€™ll see if I can find a local vet with an appointment available before Thursday, but if not heā€™s booked in for then, fingers crossed.

Yes Iā€™m in the U.K., up north, in Lancashire.

Here is our member recommended vets locator: Vet Locator (you can find the link on the top bar)

Until then, I would recommend that you order F10 disinfectant online tonight, so you have that ready as soon as you start with treatment.

Please use good hygiene (hand washing) before and after every contact and handle your piggies as little as possible.
It is very likely that the companion is also infected but not showing yet as it takes between 10-14 days between infection and acute outbreak. As long as you can break the cycle during that period, you won't have to deal with any more acute outbreaks and more shedding of spores. Ringworm is transmitted through those shed spores. Once you have an active spot, it has to run its due course unfortunately.

We strongly recommend to ask for oral itrafungol (which is not cheap but the most effective to get on top of all the ringworm spots on the body with minimal handling) so you have to then only concentrate on getting on top of the shed spores in their environment, hanging in their fur coat and in any clothing of yours they have come into contact with.
We do not recommend creaming because it is very ineffective re. stopping the shedding of spores as it doesn't cover the whole affected area (which is much wider than you can see because the fungal sits at the hair roots), which means that you often have to deal with secondary spots as a result - and a lot more exasperation and infection risk of yourself.
Done correctly, you should be over the worst of it within 7-10 days of the start of treatment; so while it is a lot of hassle, it is well worth it!

Please take the time to read the guide links, you will find them extremely helpful as they have all the necessary information and the practical tips in there. I would recommend that you bookmark the ringworm link as well as the New Owners Guide collection link, so you have them handy whenever you want to look up something.
 
Iā€™ve just ordered this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/F10-Ready-...nt&qid=1616453175&sprefix=F10+,aps,172&sr=8-8

I wash my hands before and after every interaction with my boys already luckily, and I only handle them once a day at most as theyā€™re still very nervous around me.

I will ask for the oral treatment you mentioned when I see the vet, thank you. .. Iā€™ll write it down though, as I canā€™t even pronounce that in my head šŸ˜‚
 
The F10 youā€™ve ordered is perfect for deep cleaning and killing off fungal spores in their cage. Great that you are taking precautions yourself. When I have a piggy come in with suspected fungal I always wear long sleeves and also an apron when handling just to help make sure I donā€™t catch it, too.
Good luck at the vets.
 
Hi everyone, once again thank you for all your help. Saw the vet today, had a full health check on both boys, apart from a couple of issues, as noted, theyā€™ve been given a ā€œhealthy young boys badgeā€, mustā€™ve been there for at least 2 hours, everyone loved them. They actually sent for another vet just to come and look at them šŸ˜.

Raphael did indeed have ringworm, first dose of medication has been administered, all wood/cardboard items have been removed from his home and everything else has been washed at 60 or cleaned with the disinfectant.

Little Nepal has had mites too so Iā€™ve been given some ivermectin for him and a shampoo to use on both boys. Bathing them was a fun experience šŸ˜‚
 
Glad the vet visit went well! Ringworm is a pain in the behind, but fortunately totally treatable... it's just the cleaning that's frustrating!
 
I mustā€™ve spent most if not all of yesterday afternoon cleaning each individual piece of C+C, and all the little bits and pieces that go in it. It sure was a fun experience šŸ¤£
 
I mustā€™ve spent most if not all of yesterday afternoon cleaning each individual piece of C+C, and all the little bits and pieces that go in it. It sure was a fun experience šŸ¤£
My biggest dread with any possible fungal coming in on a foster piggy is not the treatment and piggy dipping - itā€™s the blooming deep cleaning that goes with it. And c and c has so many nooks and crannies to clean out. Well done.
 
Exactly! My wife used to raise cattle, sheā€™s had experience dealing with ringworm, so mentally I was prepared for helping my wee man. What I hadnā€™t thought about was just how many of the connectors Iā€™d used making the enclosure šŸ™ˆšŸ¤£.

Thank you, it took up most of my afternoon but my boys are worth it šŸ˜
 
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